Village of Alternatives

Sep 25, 2015
A village with alternatives is a living village. As proof of this, the Basque Social Rights Charter Assembly is organising Alternatiben Herria-Village of Alternatives in Bilbao on 24 October. Demands combined with fun, an opportunity to get together and to showcase the many proposals, both big and small alike, that drive us forward every day.

 

We are thus taking up the call of the Bizi movement to organise villages of alternatives in the run-up to the Paris Climate Change Summit in December, with the slogan CHANGE THE SYSTEM, NOT THE CLIMATE.

Yes, we have discovered that there are alternatives to grapple with the current social model. Some of them are in our power, while others are waiting for us to develop them. All of them provide us with the opportunity to build a more desirable, caring and fairer Euskal Herria (Greater Basque Country).

What do we want to do? What are our proposals for us to work together?

  • To showcase the alternatives and the projects that we are implementing throughout Euskal Herria, with each of us in our village, neighbourhood, group, sector,... And thus share information, ideas, mutual expertise, enable reflection and constructive debate... The goal is clear: to create affinities, alliances and trust that enable us to strengthen our projects. That is the only way we can change things!

  • The powers-that-be seek to leave us powerless. They want to make us believe that there is only one way, and that there is no alternative to that. We have to rebel against that. We have to make our projects, intuitions, desires... more visible and relevant. We will show that there are other ways.

We therefore have a date in Bilbao on 24 October. During the day, the heart of Bilbao will joyfully pulsate with our reflections, with the optimism of our specific alternatives.

It will be a constructive mobilisation. There is a place for everyone in the Village of Alternatives.

Just like in any village, there will be districts, spaces where we want to learn about and share our experiences: round tables, communications, workshops, documentaries, stalls, a market, street activities, games… A day that is being prepared as "auzolan" (working together as a community): we need more ideas and contributions to prepare the programme! Yours, as individuals or groups!

During the open meetings that we have been holding with a whole range of social movements, different core and thematic areas to get things underway have been proposed:

  • Nature: climate change and justice, energy sovereignty, waste, mobility food sovereignty, consumption…

  • Economic model: finances, currency, transforming the social economy, distribution of wealth, employment…

  • Democracy, sovereignty and participation: decision-making capacity regarding the political, cultural, social and economic model, socio-political participation, participative processes, solidarity between the villages...

  • Life sustainability: care, body relations…

  • Diversity: origin, identity, sexual, functional, managing diversity…

  • Assets in common: the Basque Language, education, culture…

 During the day, there will be no lack of street activities, music, places to have something to eat and drink... The desire for and putting social transformation into practice is underway. The Village of Alternatives is proof of this. Its organisation is a collective task, where all the forces are necessary and were any contribution and commitment are welcome. On 24 October, we will build a living village, to carry on constructing a more desirable Euskal Herria.